Examples of Bias in Wikipedia: Homosexuality

Wikipedia editors opposed to same-sex marriage created several user boxes for display on their user pages to express their views on the subject. These were deleted,[1] the deletion was overturned at deletion review, and then a new deletion debate ensued which ended with "no consensus."[2] This illustrates how little tolerance Wikipedia has for free speech on user pages.

The Wikipedia article Larry Craig scandal shows a bias against Senator Craig. It identifies him as "one of several prominent conservative politicians who had a record of anti-gay legislation and later caught in a gay sex scandal". Craig was convicted of disorderly conduct and no sexual act occurred. On Sept. 23, 2011, the article was vandalized by a single purpose editor signon named "Larry Craig" who also edited the main Larry Craig article.[3]

Wikipedia editors regularly and fiercely alter the use of the terms "he" or "she" in articles regarding cross-dressing/transsexual figures. Men attempting to pass as females are near-universally referred to as "she" while women attempting to pass as men are referred to as "he", despite this usage absolutely incorrect in both scientific and legal senses.

When NBA Basketball player Jason Collins announced that he was a homosexual, his Wikipedia biography was altered to say that he was a "faggot." When an editor attempted to change the word to "gay" Wikipedia's anti-vandalism robot changed it back.[5][6][7] An editor replaced his photo with a poster for "Gay N-word".[8] After the page drew criticism on the Huffington Post, Wikipedia locked the page to editing and the changes have been hidden from public view. The article on the 2012-13 Washington Wizzards season had similar problems.[9]

After an edit war,[10] Wikipedia changed the Bradley Manning article to Chelsea Manning and gave the article subject female attributes, even though Manning had yet to legal change his name or begin any sex reassignment treatments or therapies.[11] The article was moved between "Chelsea Manning" and "Bradley Manning" six times in one day as Wikipedia administrators fought amoung themselves.

Wikipedia's entry on the conservativeOklahoma legislator Sally Kern is seething with bias, unjustified smears and outright distortions.[12] Wikipedia understates that over 1500 supporters rallied in support of her criticisms of the homosexual agenda,[13] and instead, Wikipedia highlights predictable Hollywood criticisms of her stance. Wikipedia then smears her with false accusations about her family, and emphasizes charges that were never brought against her. The Wikipedia entry also misrepresents a bill that Kern introduced to protect "a student's voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint"; Wikipedia relies on an anti-Christian blog to distort Kern's bill.

In a brief-lived example of pro-homosexuality bias, the category allowing users to self identify as Heterosexual was Category:Heterosexual_Wikipedians was deleted because it served no useful purpose, yet the exact same category for homosexuals Category:Gay_Wikipedians wasn't deleted until a month later, along with all other categories focused on the sexuality of Wikipedians. Category:LGBT_Wikipedians has revived itself after a delete and is still fighting to not be deleted. Of course, and editor can self-identify as "LGBT" whether it is applicable or not. One editor who was criticized for traveling with her significant other at WMF expense publicly self-identified as "LGBT" to deflect criticism.[17]

Wikipedia's article on the British Actor Sir Alec Guinness repeats a malicious story that has been proven false to suggest that he was a homosexual.[18] It then suggests that the biography on Guinness by Piers Paul Read confirms that he was bi-sexual. This too is false, although Read examines the rumors and speculates as to Guinness' feelings, there is absolutely no proof that Guinness was homosexual or bi-sexual. Speculation is largely contrieved from his knowing several British actors and directors who were and a rumor started by a woman who mistook John Gielgud as Guinness.

Wikipedia's article on Homosexual behavior in animals is hopelessly misleading. Even though animals cannot be considered homosexual, Wikipedia wants the public to believe that animals make a conscience decision for same-sex relations by affection/bonding, and parenting. [1] This Homosexuality in animals myth is debunked by Conservapedia.

California's Proposition 8 states that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." The Wikipedia article[19] does not mention that only those marriages have been recognized under federal law anyway, and editors have removed any mention of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.[20] Now the article implies that Prop. 8 has been determined to be unconstitutional, even though the US Supreme Court refused to say that or permit the Ninth Circuit to say that.[21]

Although Wikipedia standards require discussion of gender, sexuality and homosexuality in straight-forward plain English terms, the article "Netball in the Cook Islands" (a subject that has nothing to do with sexuality) decided to comment on the fact that some men and boys on the Cook Islands play what was historically a women's sport: "Most of the men and boys who play in these gender subverting netball games are straight, though a few of the men are laelae."[22] Why use judgmental terms like "gender subverting"? How many readers understand the full connotations and implications of the word "laelae"? What research was used to determine the truth of this sentence -- did interviewers walk up to young boys playing netball on the Cook Islands and asked them how they felt about girls?

The Wikipedia article "J. Edgar Hoover" has an extensive section speculating on his sexuality. That discussion goes out of its way to describe Roy Cohn as a "closeted homosexual." Three photos are placed in this section of the article -- one showing Hoover sitting with his assistant Clyde Tolson and another showing Hooever sitting with Richard Nixon and Bebe Rebozo. The placement of these photos and their captions may have been intended to suggest more than they show.

Wikpedia's site policy is to not mention negative information about family members of the subject unless it is relevant. Therefore, it does not mention information about drug charges against Al Gore's son. However, it prominently mentions the fact that Dick Cheney's daughter is a lesbian. It is unclear if this is a pro-homosexuality bias (i.e. homosexuality is not negative) or a bias in favor of liberal politicians (cutting the info on Gore's son while including the info on Cheney's daughter.)